Guest Post: Christian and Transgender

I believe the answer to both of those questions is yes, and I will explain why I think so in a future post.

Today’s guest post is from Megan H., a Transgender woman who loves God and seeks to honor him by loving others. She blogs at www.finallymegan.com and advocates for others in the Transgender community. I reached out to Megan on social media and invited her to tell her story here. I realize this is a controversial topic and not everyone will agree. But I humbly ask that you read Megan’s words with an open heart and ask yourself, “Do I truly believe God accepts everyone who loves Him?”

* * * * *

Ihave known that I was Transgender since I was a child. I did not learn the term until I was in my 20’s, but I knew that I was different. This went so much deeper than wanting to wear dresses or play with dolls. It was a belief that I was a girl and that something was terribly wrong. Why didn’t I look like the other girls in school? Why was I being told to go sit with the boys during lessons? I was around five years old the first time I looked in the mirror and truly wondered what was wrong with me.

As I grew older, the feeling of being trapped intensified. It was a nightmare that I couldn’t escape…in fact, it got worse. I was so desperate to be who I was inside, I remember going to bed praying that God would change me. I was so devastated when I woke up and looked in the mirror and saw that nothing had been altered. It is so difficult to describe my feelings during this time, except for extreme panic and horrible confusion. There had been a mistake; this had to be a mistake. I wasn’t a boy. This wasn’t a phase, nor was I just an effeminate boy. This went down to my very core.

I grew up in a very conservative household. I was taught early on by the church that the LGBTQ+ community was disgusting and an abomination in the sight of God. Sure, I didn’t know what being Transgender meant as a child, but I did know that what I was feeling did not line up with what they were teaching me about being a Christian. So, if God despised the LGBTQ+ community, then He surely must hate me for what I was feeling, right? I knew that He was real, and so therefore I must be these things: vile, disgusting, and repulsive. The depression, even as a young child, was crippling. I loved Jesus more than words itself. I did not want to be this…thing that went against what He desired. I wanted to honor Him. If my feelings were in conflict with my faith, then I felt I had to change something.

I decided, as I grew older, than in order to be a good Christian, I needed to be as “manly” as possible. By doing this, I would become who I was supposed to be, and maybe change the way I was feeling. I would honor Christ; I would prove that I loved Him by becoming this person. I threw myself into children’s ministry at the church, and I taught theater at a Christian school. Serving God meant that I focused less on myself and more on Him, and while I was so terribly miserable, I was still able to help others. There was a war that I was waging internally, but I thought then that suppressing my feelings and ignoring them would help me overcome them. On the outside, I was this strong Christian who had all of the answers, but I was slowly drowning internally.

I met a beautiful girl, and we fell in love. We married when she was 18, and I was 20. This was the way things were supposed to be, right? We had 3 little girls and built a life together…but it was a life built on a lie I had fabricated for my own life and spirituality. As completely in love as I was with my family, I was so depressed. So depressed, in fact, that I almost took my life.

I was living a lie. I was in such a dark place. I thought that my family wouldn’t be able to cope with who I really was internally. I thought that God, who I loved more than anything, couldn’t love me, or accept me for the woman I was. I had two choices: end it all, or embrace who I really was. So I told my siblings. They were not surprised at all. My wife found out, and is now my biggest supporter. All of the lies that I had been telling myself for my entire life began to crumble away.

I began to think about all of the things I had been taught while growing up, and things that I had heard even as an adult. I thought about God, who in His unfathomable love and mercy sent His Son to die for our sins so that His people could be reunited with Him. Any person…except someone who was a part of the LGBTQ+ community? This did not make any sense. I continued to read and study, and I continued to return to the one truth that I knew for absolute certain:

John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

This verse is so often quoted that many Christians take it for granted. I read it over and over. Jesus died so that ANYONE who believes in Him will have everlasting life. There isn’t an exception. There isn’t a “He died so that anyone except this particular group of people can live with Him forever” clause. So then if this was true (and it is), how can I be Transgender and a Christian despite what the church is teaching?

I have conversations with other Christians all the time, and most (if not all) will return to the same book of the Bible: Leviticus. Specifically, Leviticus 20:13, which discusses homosexuality. This was my area of confusion for a long time as well. So I continued to read and study. I finally came across this verse:

Galatians 3:21-25 – “Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.”

After I read it initially, I read it a few more times before it sank in. Hadn’t I heard before about the “Old Law,” and that Jesus came to bring us the “new law”? The old law was put into place to prepare us for Jesus, plain and simple. The old rules fell away when Jesus came to restore our relationship with the Father!

John 1:17 – “For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ.”

Jesus came to earth to show us God’s unfailing love and faithfulness. Not bound by rituals or blood sacrifice as was given to us (necessary at the time) by Moses, but to forge something new.

While there are others, the verse I wanted to share most of all is this:

John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.”

This is our new commandment. This is the thing that we are to do-love one another. Not “judge one another”, not criticize or verbally abuse other people because they are challenging what we have been taught our entire lives. Love. One. Another.

So what now? There are still uncertainties in my life. I still have struggles; I am not the “model Christian.” I am still growing and learning, and will until the day that I die. I have reconciled my Christianity with my being a Transgender woman. It does not exempt me, it does not make me less of a person or Christian. I am one of Christ’s children, and nothing or no one can take that away. I still want to honor Him with my actions. I chose to love the unlovable. I was one of those unlovable people until I accepted Christ. Maybe that is why I am here, why I have gone through all of this. Maybe I am put into this position so that I can show Christ’s love to those in the LGBT+ community.

All I know for certain is that I am not forsaken, lost, or unwanted. I have a Savior who wants me, Transgender or otherwise. That, to me, is everything.

One does not become a Christian because they love God. They become a Christian when they agree with God they are sinners and turn to Jesus Christ as their only hope for Salvation. One does not become a Christian because they do good works. Salvation is because of the work Jesus did on Calvary. Of course this is too much opposed to what you and your crowd believes it will never be published on your blog as a comment. The Bible is correct not matter your or my view.

You are absolutely correct that Jesus is our only hope for Salvation. You will never, EVER hear me argue that point. I accepted His gift of Salvation years ago, that is not really what this post was about. What I was trying to explain was that there is nothing contradictory in being saved, and Transgender.

Well answered Megan. I was once just as judgemental as any other person who tries to determine who is in and who is out – thank God I came to the realisation that loving one another is the whole point of the law – anything that is not love, is sin! Being transgender is not sin. Being cisgendered is not sin – being unloving – that is sin.

I am happy, Megan, that you have found peace and happiness as a transgender woman while keeping your faith as I have found peace and happiness as a transgender man while rejecting my faith. I hope only good things and safety for you in a religion and a world that so often treats us with cruelty and hatred.

Nicely said. So much agony in this person’s crucification by the “letter” of the law which Is death focused, instead of focusing on the opened tomb and the love that is the truth for all of us.
I am so glad for her spirits sake that her insides and outsides now match. In Christ, none of that matters, only your heart. The brilliance of that shines through.

Thank you for your kind words. You are so right; Jesus Christ and His salvation is the only thing that matters. It has taken me a long time to make these two parts of me align, but I am so thankful that He is merciful and forgiving!

I’m continually baffled at how Christians cherry-pick certain verses to condemn being transgendered, when there is really nothing that comes close. They say “God doesn’t make mistakes” but plenty of people are born with certain conditions they seek treatment for, or will otherwise change. Thanks for sharing your story.

It is easier to pick and choose verses to back up Theology than it is to accept some things. It is ok, I understand. I am happy to know that Jesus loves me, and this is unchanging. I am happy to talk with people who disagree with me.

Thank you so much for reading this, and for your kind words. It took a long time for me to reconcile both being Transgender and Christian, but now I understand that nothing has changed. God loves me, and that’s an amazing thing!

April. In your future assessment of all this, I hope you will take into account the fact that the Old Testament was written for Jews under an old covenant between God and the Jewish people. Too many gentile Christians today think that they are Old testament Jews and that God, the prophets, King David, Solomon, and so forth are talking directly to them today when they read the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament law, and that covenant was done away with in favor of a new covenant based on love instead of law.

I also hope that you will address that fact that many of the gospels and letters in the New Testament were written by Jewish people who were still trying to figure out what the Jesus events meant. Because of this, they have one foot still in Judaism and one foot in the new Christianity. Many of them “talk Jewish” and talk about the Old Testament law in very Jewish ways because they still see themselves as continuing to be Jews—just Jews who happen to believe this Jew guy Jesus. To this extent, their mindset is often that they will continue to be Jews forever. Little do that know that big changes are coming, the Old Testament law is fulfilled already by Jesus, and the hated gentiles to whom the Old Testament never applied (and still does not apply) were about to be grafted into a New Kingdom based not on law—but on love, grace, compassion, forgiveness, forbearance, mercy, and all those other words a lot of Christians have difficulty hearing these days and even more difficulty applying—and a failure to understand all of this is one reason many Christians end up abusing people like Megan instead of understanding the following:

“Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.” All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:36-40)

The Old Testament laws are re-written in Romans…The 10 commandment are still the law of God..WHAT WE SEE HERE IS MAN MAKING GOD INTO HIS IMAGE..The New Testament forbids men to wear womens clothse…or have sex with each other..Same goes for the Lesbos too…

MAN..MAKING GOD INTO HIS OWN IMAGE…

If you love these mixed up people..love them enough to tell them the truth ….or you will find yourselves under the wrath of God for not warning him..THAT IS IN THE BIBLE TOO.

MOST PEOPLE DONT BOTHER TO READ THE SCRIPTURES..THEY MAKE GOD IN THEIR OWN IMAGE…and that is why the PATH TO LIFE is so narrow..and THE PATH TO DESTRUCTION is so wide..

God Bless you all..I hope the truth matters enough to you to read the bible God gave you..Remember…in the OT it was prophesied that the WORD OF GOD WOULD BE IN YOUR MINDS (reading)…and his SPIRIT IN YOUR HEARTS..(feeling and obedience)

First let me thank you sincerely for taking the time to read this, and then write a comment on it. I understand that you feel very passionately about this, and I completely respect that. That being said, I would like to take a few moments and offer my opinion on how the New Testament relates to the LGBTQ+ community.

I would first like to state that many Christians (not calling out anyone in particular) who are against equality for the LGBTQ+ community always discuss the morality verses in the bible, and state that it (the Bible) is very clear on this matter and use verses to support their particular opinions. While doing this, and stating that those who say otherwise are distorting the meaning of the passages, they do not seem to see such a clear meaning on the versus that discuss the burdens of wealth, the sinfulness of greed, nor those that discuss how we are to conduct ourselves concerning economic issues.

There is absolutely no mention whatsoever of homosexuality in any of the four Gospels. The teachings Jesus gave on morality (Sermon on the Mount for example) do not discuss this subject at all.

There are three references from Paul that are most often referenced (Romans 1:26-2:1, 1 Corinthians 6:9-11 and 1st Timothy 1:10). Let’s be clear that Paul’s concern with homosexuality was due completely to the fact that the Greek and Roman cultures viewed it as a secular sensuality which went against his Christian spiritual beliefs. He was, in fact, against lust and sensuality in anyone, homosexual OR heterosexual. The argument stating that the LGBTQ+ community is spiritually bankrupt because they are tempted is like saying that Heterosexual people are bankrupt spiritually for their temptations. In Paul’s mind, anyone who thought of themselves first or put themselves before God is condemned, and this went for everyone.

Committed relationships between two people who honor, love, and respect God is wonderful. Condemning them because you don’t agree with them is your right, but condemning, judging and rejecting the LGBTQ+ community does not coincide with Jesus’ commandment, which was to love one another. We are not going to advance His kingdom if we are constantly shutting out those who He has called us to love.

Again, thank you for your comment. It has inspired another blog post for me- most of which I have already written here! God bless you!

My heart hurts as I read all this. Megan God loves you, and we are to love one another. Yet God does not make excuses for my sinful indulgences nor yours. A good father corrects his children…he has corrected me many times.

Today my 2 year old purposefully hit her sister over and over again even after I told her not to. Of course she knew it was wrong, but she liked her sin and wanted to stay in it. When I confronted her, she made all kinds of excuses for her sin. I didn’t reject her, I could never conceive of it. But she did get disciplined.

God doesn’t reject his children, but he certainly disciplines us no matter what our sin. Especially the sins we know we are committing and want to stay in.

Perhaps at this point you have not seen and been convicted of your sin of homosexuality. Or perhaps you have and you are in denial. I don’t know.

Are you a greater sinner than me Megan? No, absolutely not! I’m a wretch and a worm of a man. Megan, you are a wretched man too, just like me. The definition of sin did not change from the old testament to the new. The old testament showed us our sin and the impossibility of remaining holy in our own strength. Christ forgives our sin and gave us power to overcome it by the Holy Spirit.
Logically speaking, if the OT’s definition of sin is obsolete or somehow modified, we would also have to conclude that Murder, Adultery, Beastiality Theft.ect….are debatable as actually being sins as well. It takes theological gymnastics and purposeful blindness to use the Bible to cover any sin. To maintain such a position requires one to alter scripture. The Jehovahs Witnesses had to edit the Bible several times to try and erase the Diety of Christ. They couldn’t keep up with their lies and their own bible can still be used to expose their initial lie.
Megan, I’m not here to debate whether or not your are a christian. You testified you are saved by the grace of God. I will never tell someone they are not saved. Neither will I tell them they are saved. I may have an opinion, but A will not assure anyone of their standing with God. That is their own job to work out. Only the Holy Spirit can testify to their hearts that they God’s children.
Let me ask you this though: What are we saved from Megan? Are you saved from lust? Are you saved from envy? Are you saved from anger, rebellion and gossip? I would ask this of any christian and they would acknowledge that these are all sins, Christ has come to redeem us from and Christ is in the process of refining and purifying us from all unrighteosness…yes including homosexuality.
Megan, go home to your Father and heaven, read scripture with an unbiased heart whether you like what he says or not, He’s a good, good father. Please don’t bury the Roman’s passages with the hearsay of cultural anthropology. Look at the entire revelation of scripture. Where is homosexuality lauded as virtous vs. how many times is it spoken of as sin or negatively?

Megan, God loves you. He accepts you as a son…but he rejects any of your sins, they must be repented of as he brings them to light in your life. I have a cousin and close friend who is a christian, he faces his homosexual temptations in the power of the Holy Spirit…is he 100% successful? No, but he is repentant and acknowledges it as sin. Its much more than one sin…its pride, its selfishness, lust etc..
Megan if you came to my church today I would accept you, I would not turn my nose up at you, but neither would I turn a blind eye if you openly declared any sin as virtuous. If a fornicator came into church joking and laughing about the girl he had sex with last night, I would gently speak to him and correct him. If he did it publicly, I would reprove him publicly. If he did it privately, I would reprove him privately. Its biblical. I would hope you would do the same for me and keep me from sin and error. You would have full freedom to do the same to me, God knows I have planks in my eye.

May I commend you for the maturity of how you have handled many of these comments. Some of them were not done in love. You have taken the higher road and that demonstrates real character. I trust you will receive what I have shared with in sincerest Christian love. You are my brother and above all I desire my brother restored. Bless you Megan.
Your fellow sinner,
Don

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply, I truly appreciate it. I can tell that you took some time to consider your reply, and that means a lot.

I first feel the need to ask, did you happen to read all of my post? I ask this because you reference me being a man, and a homosexual. This would seem to indicate that you think I am a man who is in a relationship with a man. I am in fact, as I mentioned in this post, married to a wonderful, accepting, God-loving woman. I have been married to her for over eight years now.

I also notice several times that you refer to me as a man in your reply. I identify as a woman, and I do appreciate your use of my name, Megan. I am not one of those people who shout about accurate gender pronouns, and so I want to assure you that you did not offend me. I did want to let you know (with helpful intentions) that this is a topic that could potentially shut down respectful dialogue with a different Transgender person, and if you want to have a meaningful conversation with one in the future it would be best to use the pronouns they prefer. Doing otherwise could lead to them shutting you out. This is a serious thing for most (but not all) Transgender people.

I have included a few resources I would love for you to take a look at if/when you have time.

I am a Christian. I love Jesus, and have accepted His gift of salvation. Of course I’m a sinner, as we all are in this fallen world. I am Transgender. This does not mean that God rejects me or loves me any more or less. I am His child. I am sorry that this offends you, but I am proud of who I am. I hope to be able to reach other hurting people for Christ, and love them just like He does.

Megan, thanks for your patient and kind response, I did make some assumptions about your persuasions and I apologize for their inaccuracies. I am not offended by you Megan, you are not offensive to me in the least.

I understand that other transgender folks would take exception to me identifying their gender as the opposite of what they desire to be. I know that may shut down conversations. That is sad and I don’t desire to offend. A doctor does not withhold a cancer diagnosis because he is afraid of the persons response. He gently, yet clearly communicates the bare and naked truth. Anything less is malpractice and unloving. It is unloving of me not to be clear and direct with you. There are times that Truth is unavoidably hard to face, but it is unloving to omit it. Megan, you are proud and very vocal about your stance, I am simply meeting that boldness with similar boldness.
Please understand, that If I call a man who identifies himself as a woman a “woman” or anything other than a man, I am in effect compromising my conscience on the matter and the very truth I was contending for in the first place.
I can appreciate a person taking bold stances on a matter. An open and honest dialogue (as we are having now) allows for both sides to take an equally bold stance, yes even if it is perceived as offensive by either party though it is never intended to be so.

Calling sin, sin earned John the Baptist many enemies and eventually his head got lopped off. (no, I am not equating myself to John). My point is simply this, that truth must be in love, yet remain uncompromised and that is a delicate balance. I remember Martin Luther when he said” Unity if possible…Truth at all costs” Thank you for the grace and patience you have demonstrated in this conversation you have replied with uncommon patience and tact. Knowing that this forum was a public one, I felt it necessary to simply respond in defence of what is quite clear in scriptures. I can see this will not be solved in words or lengthy debate, I know, and thats ok with me. May the Spirit of God guide you into all truth.
Sincerely,
Don

Maye a bigger question concerns whether or not a genuine, Holy Spirit indwelt believer can continue to practice a lifestyle in which what God declares sin is comfortable for the ‘believer’ to live out.

I hit the send button too soon. A ‘genetic’ man can “feel’ like a woman and a ‘genetic’ woman can ‘feel’ like a man, but one’s sex (male or female) doesn’t change. If ‘gender’ means male of female, unless you can alter genes, you cannot change gender.

Kevin DeYoung offers a good answer:

“Although sex-change operations are not specifically mentioned in Scripture, human sexuality is spelled out clearly, starting in Genesis: “So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them. God blessed them and told them, multiply and fill the earth and subdue it” (Genesis 1:27-28a). Genesis 1:31 tells us that His creation was excellent in every way. To say that gender does not matter is to disagree with God’s design for creation and His proclamation that it was very good.”

I could say a lot more, but I won’t. There is a great need for compassion for those in bondage to ‘tendencies’ outside of God’s plan, whatever that tendency might be.

Yes, God created male and female, and it was good. But you (and DeYoung) are applying the declaration to the specific gender assignment of each individual. In other words, in DeYoung’s view, God declared Adam “good” because he was assigned male parts, and Eve was “good” because she was assigned female parts. Therefore, if their parts are changed, they are no longer good.

I look at God’s declaration to be more universal. God created two genders and declared them both–manhood and womanhood–to be good. So when someone transitions from one gender binary to the other, they are moving from one good thing to another good thing.

If it is true that changing what God has created is a sin, then wouldn’t it also be sin to dye your hair? (Genetics say mine is brown!) Is it a sin to cut off your hand or gouge out your eye? (God made everyone with two and declared it good, after all!) What about hybridizing plants or cross-breeding animal species? (Genesis doesn’t say anything about mules or nectarines!) This argument about changing gender just doesn’t hold up.

Also, let’s consider this. Suppose a person who did not previously know Jesus decided to change gender. They then spend 10 years living as the opposite gender, dressing, thinking, talking, and building public and private relationships based on that identity. Then they hear the gospel and decide to accept Jesus as their Savior. What now? Do they transition back to their original gender? Do they uphend all of their relationships? Do they retake hormones and undergo reassignment surgery AGAIN, knowing that their original sex will never be fully restored to its full functionality? Why?

Is transgenderism a one-time sin (in the initial transition), or an ongoing sin (as long as the new identity is claimed)? This is important. If it is a one-time sin, then certainly it is forgiven the moment it is confessed to Christ, is it not? If it is an ongoing sin, though, then we say that the person’s salvation is dependent upon their ability and RESOURCES (because transitioning is expensive) to return to their original physical state. And we would say that the person is not truly repentant or saved until that state is reached. But then, doesn’t that become works-based salvation? Doesn’t that make salvation dependent upon the person and not upon Christ? How is this the gospel?

If God is going to redeem and perfect our bodies at the Resurrection anyway, why do we have to try to achieve that in our own strength beforehand?

If you believe tattoos are a sin, do you tell people who get saved that they have to go have all of their tattoos removed or else they are still in danger of hell?

There is much more I could say, particularly concerning the biological/genetic argument, but I think the above statements get to the heart of the matter.

Transgenderism goes against God’s design for HIS creation. Period. Genesis is but one description and should suffice for anyone reading the words. Sadly we like to try and justify our sin by whatever scripture twisting we think will work. And in case you missed the science, you cannot change your biological gender. End of discussion.

God does hate the sin of transgender and the one who is the sinner that is to promote the idea of transgender. Seeing that transgender is a is and an abomination against God. Deuteronomy 22:5 is my cite for that.
Yes it is truth that God hate all sin and the sinners.
Transgender is pure evil and sexual immoral and is a lifestyle of sexual immorality, and it is just like the sin of incest.

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About the author

I'm a life-long believer in Christ who can no longer remain silent about the heresies and lack of faith that are destroying the church in America. Aside from my passion for the gospel, I'm an avid writer who lives in Virginia with my husband, sons, and two overly affectionate cats. I enjoy cooking, art, books, gardening and many of life's simple pleasures. My hope is that my blog will be a source of strength, encouragement, freedom, and joy for other believers in Christ.